4-year-old boy dies aboard cruise ship

Feb. 4, 2014
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The cruise ship Norwegian Breakaway. / AP

by John Bacon, USA TODAY

by John Bacon, USA TODAY

A 4-year-old boy died after being pulled from a swimming pool aboard a cruise ship off the coast of North Carolina, authorities said. A 6-year-old boy was revived.

The Norwegian Cruise Line said in a statement that its medical team aboard the Norwegian Breakaway was called Monday "and notified that two small children were unresponsive on the pool deck."

CPR was given to both children, but "devastatingly, the younger child passed away on board," the cruise line said.

The Coast Guard was called, and the older child was airlifted to a hospital, accompanied by his grandmother and a nurse from the ship, the cruise line said.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Andrew Gemuenden said the ship was 40 miles off of Cape Lookout, N.C., when the call came in. A Marine helicopter shuttled the survivor to Cartaret General Hospital in Morehead City, N.C., where he was in stable condition, Gemuenden said.

The Norwegian Breakaway, billed by the cruise line as the largest cruise ship ever to home port in New York City, holds about 4,000 passengers. The ship, which made its maiden voyage less than a year ago, was sailing for Florida when the tragedy occurred.

"We extend our deepest sympathies to the family during this extremely difficult time and are providing full assistance and support," the cruise line said. "The family is in our thoughts and prayers and we ask that you please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as well."

In October, 6-year-old Qwentyn Hunter of Winter Garden, Fla., drowned in a pool aboard the Carnival Cruise Lines ship Carnival Victory off the coast of Florida.